Sony Pictures’ Oscar hopeful The Social Network not only had a good weekend at the box office with an estimated $23 million, but an even better weekend at the Academy Of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. The film’s “official” West Coast member screening Saturday night at the Samuel Goldwyn theatre in Beverly Hills drew what was described by my spies there as “packed”, “three quarters full”, “about 800” crowd, depending on whom I spoke to. There was a lot of advance interest in this particular screening due to the fact that the blogosphere is early touting Social Network as an Oscar frontrunner for Best Picture — and, in some cases, even thefrontrunner. But there’s also been speculation about whether the advanced age of some Academy members might preclude their enjoyment of this Facebook origins movie. Based on what I have been told today by voters who attended, Sony needn’t be too worried. But they are. A rep for the film took the time to send me an unsolicited email that read in part, “FYI, the Academy screening of The Social Network went really well last night. Very full, mix of young and older. Great response to the film throughout. Good applause at the end. Lots of conversation and chatting afterwards! It’s very exciting.”

Let me contrast that spin with my own reports from some of the members NOT associated with the film: “Good turnout tonight, possibly the best of the year to date. Reaction very good as well. Big applause at the end and good applause when the credits were over, though I have to say that I have seen what I think are beloved reactions and this was not one of those. Those are few indeed, but I think Sony should be very happy with the turnout.”

And another: “I liked it, thought it was well-written, like [Aaron Sorkin’s] West Wing but unlike that I got bored and hated everyone two thirds of the way through, even the hot chicks so I think it won’t win Best Picture, nothing warm about it. The applause at the end was good and one-third stayed through the credits and applauded a little bit again. But nothing through the credits. But that may be the way they roll. All in all sort of like The Town reaction, but more people.”

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sorry to hear about blake edwards death he will be missed alot my deapest sadnes and lost

Ana Bandeira

5 years

Gisele Bundchen is Brazilian, Ayrton Senna was Brazilian. There are many caucasians in Brazil and, by the...

reality check

5 years

Well yes but then why did everyone make a fuss about the casting of The Last Airbender...

Today, I called one of the more dedicated Academy moviegoers I know, a voter who has had an uncanny knack each year for casting a ballot that closely mirrors the eventual winners”. “Considering I am inept with emails and computers, I have to say I just loved this movie, particularly the portrayal of Mark Zuckerberg and his lack of social skills,” the member told me. He added that recent screenings of Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and The Town were also impressive. But the member characterized last night’s Academy theatre as “really hopping” before jumping off the phone to head to later today’s Academy screenings of You Again and Easy A. Like I said, this person is dedicated.
—Thursday night a silence fell over the cavernous Samuel Goldwyn Theatre as the Academy’s latest tributee, writer/director/producer Blake Edwards, asked for a moment to remember Tony Curtis who had just died less than 24 hours earlier. The 88-year-old Edwards was there to participate in an on-stage conversation about his career for the Academy’s annual Jack Oakie Celebration of Comedy in Film and said he had mixed feelings about being amusing in light of Curtis’ sudden passing. Edwards and Curtis worked together on several films including Mister Cory (1957) and The Perfect Furlough (1959) along with huge box office hits Operation Petticoat (1959) and The Great Race (1965). He said he was hit hard after he just happened to turn on the TV and heard of the star’s death — even though he admitted he and Curtis had a “falling out” at one point. Nevertheless, the show must go on — and it did to an enthusiastic sold-out house that included many collaborators and stars of Edwards’ movies including his wife Julie Andrews and daughter Jennifer Edwards.

The entertaining evening featured a liberal dose of clips of The Pink Panther (1964), 10 (1979), Breakfast At Tiffany’s (1961), The Party (1968), and Victor Victoria, the 1982 farce that ironically brought Edwards his one and only Oscar nomination (for adapting the screenplay). Of course, the Academy gave him an honorary statuette in 2003 which he accepted in his signature slapstick style: by rolling across the stage in a wheelchair.Host Walter Mirisch (whose company produced Panther and Party) then led the director through a series of observations and anecdotes about his long career. The highlights included a tale about the Paramount exec who, following a preview of Breakfast At Tiffany’s, told Edwards to get rid of “that fucking song”, which of course turned out to be the classic Oscar-winner “Moon River”. Edwards said Audrey Hepburn told the exec, “Over my dead body.” Edwards also talked about what “a pain in the ass” Peter Sellers was while confessing that the unpredictable comic genius could be schizophrenically charming at the same time. “What can you say about a guy who had nightly conversations with his dead mother?” Blake noted.

Surprisingly, there were no behind-the-scenes stories about his notorious 1981 anti-Hollywood satire S.O.B. even though it was chosen to be shown in its entirety after the discussion. Blake and Julie obviously see this as a very personal film about a producer who makes a huge musical flop starring his wife — a Julie Andrews-style beloved star played by, well, Julie Andrews — and then reshoots it as a soft core flick focusing on Andrews’ rack. The film wasinspired by Edwards’ battles with Paramount over his disastrous 1970 flop Darling Lili.

38 Comments

What kind of member of the Academy walks out on a film screening? Makes me sick.

david ellis • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

sorry to hear about blake edwards death he will be missed alot
my deapest sadnes and lost

fbmover • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Good applause at the beginning and end.

The beginning is entertaining, then it gets slightly boring, we basically start to hate all the characters – and then it just ends.

it’s a good story and certainly not easy to put such a non-cinematographic-startup-story on the big screen, well written and good performance by Justin and Jesse.. but oscar? do not see that coming.

Academy member • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

I was at the screening and loved the film. It’s extraordinary. I think it’s a lock for best screenplay, but the older Academy members, which is to say the vast majority, were respectful but puzzled. I’m sorry to say I heard many comments like, “It was a good film I guess, but I hated him, he was so unpleasant” meaning Zuckerberg, the lead character. These are the people who vote for “feel good” films that sink into obscurity. They don’t vote for films like “Raging Bull,” for example, which has since been judged the best movie of the 80’s. It did not win best picture. Scorsese did not win best director. Michael Chapman did not win best cinematogrphy. I remember how many Academy members felt Jake Lamotta was not a nice man, and why would anyone make a movie about him? The Academy needs younger members.

Michael • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

I thought it was good, but watching it sort of felt like I was reading a very long article in The New Yorker.

Two Oscars at best, Adapted Screenplay and Editing. The Academy is going to go for “The King’s Speech.”

Dominicano • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Nikki, why are you not calling out “The Social Network” on its racism? Eduardo Severin is BRAZILIAN — yet they cast a white Brit. That is outrageous! There are so few roles for Latino actors — and now actual Latino characters are going to white actors. This is unacceptable.

cmon • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Money talks and that’s all that matters.

Eduardo Saverin…..British actor, but an awesome actor.

Divya Narendra……American actor, nepotism all the way.

This isn’t 21 — The movie should have been made with a Latin and Indian actor in each role. It’s ridiculous.

bill • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Well, Eduardo Saverin is Jewish so Garfield isn’t really such a stretch. I think the bigger racist move is a white GF for Mark Zuckerberg when he’s been with the same Asian girl since before he started Facebook and the girl he fought with on the fateful night that he did FaceMash was also Asian. The idea of Zuckerberg dating a white girl and then pining after her is ridiculous.

nyguy • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

This is easily (with “Inception”) the top of the heap for 2010 as of October 3rd. These two films give us something the others don’t: weight. Both of these films give you so much to think and feel about for 2 hours and then a bonus gift of thoughtful conversations afterwards. I can only hope that there are others left in the last 12 weeks of the year.

And may I say that if you don’t care about any of the characters you are dead already and should resign from the Academy. The reason is that Andrew Garfield’s performance has so much warmth and validity that you’d have to be petrified not to feel inclined toward him. He’s the closest thing we have in the last 20 years to Jimmy Stewart. And for those too lazy to IMDB and Netflix, just check out “Boy A”. This kid gets it, and yes he is British. The great thing is Eisenberg, Timberlake and Mara hit home runs too. It’s almost enough to give you faith in cinema on these shores.

Dominicano • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Eduardo Severin is BRAZILIAN — and the role should have gone to a Latino actor. Fincher and Sony are guilty of racism, plain and simple.

Edward Wilson • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Eduardo Saverin is also Jewish. Andrew Garfield is Jewish. So what’s your point again?

SeanOcali • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

“Brazilian” is not a race.

FBfan • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Brazil was colonized by the Portuguese, and later populated by a large influx of Italian and German immigrants. If white=Europeans, then large numbers of Brazilians are white. Brazil’s original native population, like the United States’, mixed through marriage with European colonizers, as did their African slave descendants. It is very hard to say what the typical Brazilian looks like.

The charge of racism is more appropriately leveled at the whitewashing of Mark Zuckerberg’s paramours, from Asian to white. I can’t imagine Prince Charles’ girlfriend being played by an Asian or black actor anytime soon, so I dont understand whythat switch occurs in the movie.

HSCOTT • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Me neither, yo. Feel ripped off that I didn’t get to see Jesse get it on with a hot Asian like real life Marky Z. AZNFEVER4EVER.

matt • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

believe it or not there are a lot of white people in Latin America, in fact there are some south american countries that are more white than the United States. If you look at pictures of the real Eduardo Saverin, its not much of a stretch to see why they cast Andrew Garfield. While they don’t look exactly alike there is a similarity there. This racism charge is utterly ridiculous.

The JuRK • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

re: Blake Edwards: Always loved S.O.B. (1981). Would love for Edwards to record a commentary for a DVD edition!

dominicano • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

You can be Jewish and Latino–news flash. The characer is Brazilian– with so little work for Latino actors, a Latino should have been cast.

Edward Wilson • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Nonsense.

So Alec Guinness is racist for playing an arab in Lawrence of Arabia?
Anthony Quinn in Mexican and can’t play a Greek in Zorba?
Harvey Keitel is Jewish so he can’t play an Italian in Mean Streets?
Leonard Rossiter is British and can’t play a Russian in 2001?
Eddie Murphy is black so he can’t play an old Jewish guy in Coming to America?
Eli Wallach is Jewish and can’t play a Mexican in The Good, the Bad and the Ugly?
Fisher Stevens can’t play an Indian in Short Circuit?

It’s called acting. Look it up. Nothing racist at all.

reality check • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Well yes but then why did everyone make a fuss about the casting of The Last Airbender then? That means that that was not racist either and all the critics and journalists were just getting at Shyamalan, no?

SeanOcali • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

You can also be British and Mestizo-news flash.

dominicano • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Latinos are 13% of the US population and 23% of the moviegoing audience — yet get about 5% of acting roles and almost no leads. So for Sean and edward to be justifying NOT casting a Latino to play a Latino is shameful. Period.

SeanOcali • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Eduardo Sevara is caucasian. Andrew Garfield is racially accurate and appropriate casting. If Latinos are underrepresented in feature films, then that is a problem in and of itself. It has nothing to do with The Social Network, and film producers do not require a character with a name like Eduardo as an excuse to cast more Latino actors in any roles. If it’s a problem, then it’s a problem- but this particular role has nothing to do with it.

Anyway, I can tell you’re just a trolling CATFISH and don’t really care. Complaining about Sean Parker casting gave it away. Please go back to IMDB. This blog is for adults.

Ben Tramer • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

People like you make me ashamed to be a liberal.

Dave • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Eduardo Saverin’s parents were European Jews who moved to Brazil. So, Andrew Garfield, a European Jew, fits perfectly.

jack • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Gotta love Blake!

ARO • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Blake Edwards was great; SOB, not so much. A failed black comedy that resorted to poop humor and ill-served the talent on board. Why didn’t they show THE PINK PANTHER, A SHOT IN THE DARK, EXPERIMENT IN TERROR, or DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES? The film clips showed him at his best; SOB showed him at his worst. But I’m still a fan and look forward to his memoirs.

Dan • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

I liked The Social Network a lot. The first half was excellent, but I feel the second half lost the amazing pacing, energy, and more original structure of the first half. I’m worried that it’s too cold to win best picture, but it very well could.

feather • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Okay, so I know this is a guy’s story and all, and I felt very real connection to these guys, but the women characters were total cartoons! Maybe this is the point, but, in such a well told story, cmon?! For all the boys who jockey for status and everything else at Harvard, there are legitimately powerhouse women of all variety. Even if they weren’t integral to the storyline, did every single woman save the unattainable Erica (who goes to BU) have to be so eager to hump any of these strivers??

whitejesus • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Have those critical of the race of the actor portraying Eduardo Saverin seen what the actual person looks like? He’s white. Besides, most Brazillians don ‘t even consider themselves latino or hispanic. They’re Brazillian!

dominicano • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

@Whitejesus, Edward,Sea, et al: To say that if a Latino is white-skinned then the role should go to a Europen is pathetic.

Other than being bummed out that Eddie Murphy – who after all, is Brazilian – didn’t get to play Eduardo – I loved the movie. ;-) OK, so it’s not accurate. Like Facebook is? The real amazement of the movie was Armie Hammer playing the Winklevoss twins. The way Fincher shot it with another actor’s body then “stitching” Armie’s other face onto that body seamlessly was amazing, and the twins interaction was the funniest part of the movie. Biggest laugh in Burbank where I saw it came when he said, “I’m 6’5″, 205, and there’s two of me!” It’s the best geek society movie I’ve seen yet.

Social Network was great. I enjoyed it. However, as good as the acting was I saw no one who grabbed my attention to the point that I’ll be looking forward to seeing them again. If it gets an Oscar maybe it will be for screenplay or director. I think Justin Timberlake and did a great job as well but none were as good as the lead. Some say they hated all the characters but I didn’t feel that way. Rather, I RECOGNIZED all the characters and THAT was amusing. Someone found a way to say the “unspoken” in the name of entertainment. Very smart indeed.

RE: Racial Miscasting

I’m not sure casting a swarthy European Jew as a Brazilian Jew of European descent was any sort of offensive transgression. I did however notice how Asian women were portrayed to lust for financially successful white men in the film. I have no idea the accuracy of that implication but it came across loud and clear.

Percy Dovetonsils • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Notwithstanding SOB, the Blake Edwards filmography is filled with far more hits than misses. And one indisputable masterwork: BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S. The stars were all aligned perfectly on that gem of a film.

Scott • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Right you are, Percy, on both points. But what might have been Edwards’ finest movie was never made. In 1969, I started my movie career as an assistant publicist on a forgotten piece of MGM soft-porn, “The Magic Garden of Stanley Sweetheart”, starring an unknown 19-year-old Don Johnson. I was elated by the news that my favorite director (Edwards) was going to bring to the screen my favorite Broadway musical (“She Loves Me”) starring Julie Andrews. The sets had already been built in a London studio. Then, MGM underwent a change-of-management (which seemed to occur on a weekly basis), “Darling Lili” bombed (a pity, and Edwards’ 20-minutes-shorter Directors Cut is the version to see), and “She Loves Me” was cancelled. 13 years later, I was a staff publicist at MGM and volunteered to pick up Julie Andrews at the airport (in town for a week to promote “Victor/Victoria”). Edwards was also there but connecting to a flight to London. As I helped him with the luggage, I told him “Victoria” was getting rave advance reviews from critics’ screenings and remarked that he had finally gotten his revenge on MGM for canceling “She Loves Me”. He looked up at me, smiled and took off for London.

color blind my multicultural ass • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

The most egregiously racist casting was Max Minghella as Divya Narendra. I mean, really, they couldn’t find an Indian actor to play that part? Really? It’s not like it was the most challenging role to play, so they can’t say that Minghella was the only actor who could play the part. Come on, Hollywood.

Also, I love how White people on these message boards argue for color blind casting when it benefits White actors, but even jokingly suggest Will Smith for Capt. America or an ethnically non-White actor for some comic book superhero and the postings are as repugnant as anything you would read on a skinhead website. IMDB is the bigger, more contemptible offender in that department but Deadline Hollywood has its share also.

David Friendly • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

I was at the Blake Edwards tribute and it was a special night. Any man that can give you “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” and “The Pink Panther” has range and touch. These nights are important milestones as they remind us all of the shoulders we all climb on. You can be sure that Judd Apatow and Todd Phillips — two of the hottest directors of comedy today — have both seen and studied Edwards’ movies.

stella • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

BORING? What is wrong with people? And they claim MY generation is ADD……

I thought the first half was solid and the second half was tremendous. Much more exciting then just waiting for it to build up.

Ana Bandeira • on Oct 3, 2010 4:40 pm

Gisele Bundchen is Brazilian, Ayrton Senna was Brazilian. There are many caucasians in Brazil and, by the way, Eduardo is actually white, just google him and you’ll see!!